Mirror, mirror, am I just a fraud?

Published: 12 Jan 2015
By Carly Chynoweth

Even the most confident business executives have the odd moment when they feel they are faking it. But about half of senior executives could experience “impostor syndrome” in a far more serious way, suggests research by Portia Mount, a senior vice-president at the Center for Creative Leadership.

“At a basic level, impostor syndrome is when someone who is successful, ambitious and high-achieving feels that they have not earned their success,” said Mount, co-author of Beating the Impostor Syndrome. “Typically they have high-level positions but they say things like, ‘I feel like a fraud. I feel like I am faking it every day.’

“They are struggling day in, day out to keep their heads above water, to feel competent. They are competent, but they don’t feel it.”

This is essentially a confidence issue, said Jonathan Wiles, UK managing director of the recruiter Page Executive. “Impostor syndrome is probably much more common than we realise. Most people are unlikely openly to admit to self-doubt, particularly in their current role or when starting in a new role.”

The syndrome is usually associated with the limits it puts on individuals’ careers — it can mean that they are less likely to apply for promotions, for instance — but it can also have a significant effect on the people around them, said Mount, whose research suggests it affects men and women in roughly equal numbers. “This really becomes an issue when you are a leader of other people. If you are simply an individual contributor, the biggest impact will be on yourself, but as soon as you are leading other people, problems come in.

“It comes out in very specific ways. For instance, individuals over-prepare for every presentation and meeting, or they micromanage everything down to the last detail because they are afraid of making mistakes — something that team members hate. And they may have a hard time making decisions because they are busy checking and rechecking their work, which can also be quite debilitating for the individual and for the team that works for them.”

Perfectionism driven by impostor syndrome can undoubtedly get in the way of teamwork, said Asa Burke, a senior communications manager at the data security company Clearswift. “My perfectionism meant I ended up being very slow at doing stuff,” she said. “I was not efficient — I kept holding on to things because I was not ready to let them go, which was frustrating for other people, and endangered collaboration.”

She found that taking up stand-up comedy — a hobby that terrified her, but with which she expected to struggle — helped her to overcome her internal critic. “Giving myself permission not to be good at something was empowering,” said Burke, 38, who spoke at a women’s leadership conference run by the Aspire Foundation, which promotes mentoring.

She has also taught herself to take stock of her skills in light of what she does well, rather than constantly looking at where she does not measure up. “There will always be people better at stuff than you but if you worry about that you will destroy yourself.”

Burke is proof that it is possible to overcome impostor syndrome. “The first step is simply recognising when you are experiencing it,” said Mount at the US-based Center for Creative Leadership.

Finding an outside professional who can help to put things in perspective is a good next step, suggested Wiles at Page Executive. “Partnering with an external mentor or coach can really help to build an individual’s confidence as they can offer advice from their own experiences and help to identify which areas to focus on improving,” he said. “Senior leaders are now encouraged to identify development areas and seek professional help, whereas not too long ago this may have been perceived as showing weakness.

“I can point to my own experience of a certain feeling of ‘impostor syndrome’ when I was seconded to Australia to help our business there improve growth levels. Moving into a new market with a different working environment, where I was expected to make a quick impact on growth, was definitely challenging and I did internally question whether I could meet expectations.

“By looking at what I had achieved in the past I was able to identify areas where I knew I could make small, quick wins and build momentum. This ultimately made me realise I had the skills and experience to deliver what was expected, which gave me confidence in my ability to do the job.”

Leaders who manage someone who is trying to overcome impostor syndrome can help by providing consistent, timely feedback, said Mount, as this will help them to see how their efforts are contributing to the organisation and their colleagues’ work. Equally, it is helpful to recognise that missing deadlines can be the result of a perfectionist struggling to reach his or her personal high standards, rather than being something to blame on laziness or poor time management.

“And when you notice these signs, you should say something rather than just letting them thrash around and try to sort it out on their own,” Mount said. “Don’t wait until the performance review. Just talk to them about what you are seeing.”

Always think positive
Sue Salamon started to notice the effects of impostor syndrome after completing her professional qualifications. It was the right time to start looking for a promotion but, rather than focusing on what she had achieved, the credit control manager kept worrying about not having a degree.

This discouraged her from applying for new roles, despite every indication – pay rises and internal promotions, for instance – that she was performing well. “I was always benchmarking my education rather than looking at the results I was getting,” said Salamon, 42.

Working with Grace Kelly, an executive coach and founder of Citygirlconfidence.com, helped her to focus her attention elsewhere. “She helped me to understand that the results I achieved for the business were far more valuable than my qualifications,” said Salamon. “Talking things through with her helped me to start to celebrate my achievements, which helped me to build my confidence and then switch my focus so that I am thinking about others rather than myself.”

Three months ago she left her corporate career to set up a business consultancy. “A year ago I would not have had the confidence. I was too busy comparing myself to others... I was always thinking the worst instead of the best and not wanting to fail. I always saw failure as something to avoid but now I see it as just something that you learn from.”